Island



@eine giant gatrnt @fitta ALBERT S. WILKINSON, OF PAWTUOKET, RHODE ISLAND.

Letters Patent No. 69,146, dated September 24, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-SHOES.

TO ALL WIIOM I'l MAY CONCERN Be it known that I, ALBERT' S. WILKINSON, of Pawtucket, county of Providence, State of Rhode' Island, have invented a Rubber-Soled Horse-Shoe; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a bottom view of my improved rubbcr-soled shoe for animals, with part of the rubber face removed to expose the interior.

Figure 2 is a section of the same taken in the line y y, fig. I.

`The subject of this invention is a horse-shoe constructed with a continuous sole of India rubber or similar elastic material, applied substantially as hereinafter described, and serving to relieve the horse or other animal frolu'danger of slipping, and from injurious and uncomfortable concussion-of the feet when travelling upon hard roads.

In the accompanying drawings, a represents a metallic shoe-plate encased in a covering, B, of India rubber or like elastic materialv cast upon and around it. The shoe thus made may be attached directly to the lrorse's` foot with nails or other appliances, or, if preferred, a second metal plate may be secured to the first by rivets 1:, as shown in the drawings, so that the shoe will have a continuous sole of elastic material over the entire under surface. c c represent apertures left' or formed in the rubber to admit of supporting the heads of the rivets by a suitable tool in the act of clenching. The rivets c may be formed with common flat heads and a regular slow taper, or may bc of any other suitable form. If preferred, they may be formed with tapering or pointed heads, as shown in fig. 2, projecting into the apertures c below the plate a, so as to serve as small calkins, of such length that their points are about flush with the face of the rubber sole, and they are intended to be brought into action chiefly vby the compression of the rubber, as thc weight of the horse is brought to bear thereon, the rubber in all cases receiving the brunt of the blow when the foot is placed upon the ground. The nails themselves may be used as calkins in the way above described by forming them with pointed or taperheads, and employing a suitable countcrsunk tool to drive them. My shoe-plate a and elastic casing B may be together vapplied to a common shoe, as illustrated, by tho secondary plate A, but without such secondary plate A the plate a and casing B alone constitute a valuable shoe for many lighter uses, and by bringing the rubber into direct contact with the foot of the animal affords a more comfortable tread. The metallic portion of these shoes may be jointed for giving lateral elasticity to the heel of the foot. The rubberA casing is especially valuable in connection with either spring or hinge joints to protect them from wear and batter aud at the same time permit sulicient freedom of motion. c represents a metallic guard or toe-calli, which projects downward from the plate a, so as' to be Hush with the lower face of the rubber sole B, and serves as a rest for the toe to roll on as the foot is boing lifted from the ground, and saves the rubber at this point from wear. The said metallic guard is free from the objectionable features of the ordinary toe-calli, because, as the rubber surface eil'ectually prevents slipping, the toc-piece does not need to project below the face o f the shoe. The horse is -thus relieved of a frequent cause of stumbling, and is enabled to travel with greater ease and comfort. If preferred, the toe-calli e may be formed upon the secondary plate A, projecting downward, so as to be luslr with the solo, asv before explained.

Having thus described my invent-ion, the following is what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, as an iinprovemeiit in shoes for horses or other animals:

1. I claim the combination of the metallic plate e, either jointed or otherwise, with a casing, B, of elastic material extending continuously around itsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth. i

2. claim thc secondary plate A, in `combination with the plate a and casing B, substantially as specified.

I claim the combination of the metallic toc-piece e with the plate a or A and rubber sole B, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.4 l

' ALBERT S. WILKINSON.

Witnesses:

Gno. W. GAnDNEn, Guo'.v A. Wlunnonn. 

